Denim Vintage Wash Device

ABSTRACT

A denim vintage wash device includes a washing drum and a plurality of friction elements. The washing drum is rotationally installed in a machine body that is connected with an inlet tube through which water is fed into the washing drum. The plurality of friction elements are accommodated in the washing drum and consist of bamboo pieces. In practice, the washing drum in which denim clothes to be contacted by the friction elements are placed and water is filled is enabled to rotate. Then, the denim clothes rubbed by the friction elements are faded and/or outworn.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a denim vintage wash device and more particularly, to a wash device with friction elements through which denim clothes are distressed or outworn during washing.

2. Description of the Related Art

Denim clothes preferred by consumers are outworn in advance. Thus, denim clothes are generally processed in a pre-wash or stone-wash step for denim clothes faded and used unevenly or even frayed partially.

The traditional stone-wash step for denim clothes is completed in a washing drum in which natural pumice stones (for example, kaolin, pseudo topaz or artificial stone) to rub denim clothes are placed for denim clothes faded and/or outworn. However, there are lots of drawbacks observed in the stone-wash step during which denim clothes are rubbed by pumice stones, such as impact wear on the washing drum by the pumice stones, off-line damage to the denim clothes, and the discharge of waste water containing metal that can cause pollution to the water source. In addition, natural environment and resources are jeopardized because natural pumice stones frayed quickly during stone wash are exploited in bulk. Furthermore, residual fine sands from denim clothes rubbed by pumice stones need to be washed out by clear water but still stay in either waste water to jam drainage facilities or in clothes not rinsed totally to injure a user's body.

Against this background, a vintage wash device with which denim clothes are faded and/or outworn should be designed for preventing above drawbacks in the stone-wash step.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, an objective of the present invention is to provide a denim vintage wash device which is applicable in processing lots of denim clothes to be outworn and/or frayed for stable washing quality, high service life, no fine sands or scraps produced, water efficiency and environment-friendly effect.

To achieve this and other objectives, a denim vintage wash device of the present invention includes a washing drum and a plurality of friction elements. The washing drum is rotationally installed in a machine body that is connected with an inlet tube through which water is fed into the washing drum. The friction elements are accommodated in the washing drum, and each friction element includes a bamboo piece cut from a bamboo root. The washing drum in which denim clothes are placed and water is filled is enabled to rotate such that the denim clothes rubbed by the plurality of friction elements are faded and/or outworn.

In an embodiment, each friction element has its length, width and height from 1 to 15 centimeters, respectively.

In an embodiment, each of the plurality of friction elements has its hardness between 1650 and 1800 lb.

The denim vintage wash device of the present invention proves effective in advantages as follows: 1. Fibers of denim clothes to be outworn during frictional contacts are not damaged by porous and coarse friction elements made of bamboo roots for promotion of the yield.

2. The surface of the washing drum is not abraded by the friction elements, which are made of bamboo pieces and characteristic of hardness lower than stones. Moreover, the friction elements worn down gradually have the longer service life.

3. Denim clothes which are rubbed and outworn by the friction elements made of bamboo pieces without sludge inside are rinsed in moderate clear water for water-efficiency and environment-friendly effects.

4. The friction elements which are cut from bamboo roots abandoned by a bamboo manufacturer and being available easily are mass-produced economically for low-cost manufacturing without natural pumice stones exploited for the stone-wash step.

5. Residues of the friction elements cut from bamboo roots can be burnt down after multiple reuses directly and pose no threat to environment.

The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The illustrative embodiment may best be described by reference to the accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a denim vintage wash device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a friction element cut from a bamboo root for the denim vintage wash device in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a vintage wash device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention for denim clothes outworn or faded. The denim clothes referred to includes, but is not limited to, jeans wears, trousers, hand bags or backpacks. The vintage wash device 10 includes a rotational washing drum 12 and a plurality of friction elements 14. The washing drum 12 is rotationally installed in a machine body 16. In a feasible embodiment, the machine body 16 is a housing of an industrial washing machine, and the washing drum 12 is categorized as but not limited to a drum of the industrial washing machine. The machine body 16 is connected with an inlet tube (not shown) through which water is fed into the washing drum 12 controllably but not fed at above a default water level. The machine body 16 is provided with a switch 18 with which the washing drum 12 is enabled to rotate or disabled. Moreover, the machine body 16 is equipped with a drum cover 20 to be opened or closed for shielding the washing drum 12.

The plurality of friction elements 14 is accommodated in the washing drum 12 and made of tenacious bamboo pieces. Each friction element 14 has a certain volume. In a preferred embodiment, the friction element 14 is composed of a bamboo piece cut from a bamboo root 22 (or bamboo root 22 washed and trimmed) as shown in FIG this embodiment, the length, width and height of the friction member are between 1 and 15 centimeters, respectively. The friction elements 14 made of bamboo pieces feature good friction property because of a high friction coefficient at the surface of the bamboo root 22 which is porous, tenacious and fibrous. In this embodiment, the hardness and the surface friction coefficient of the friction element 14 range from 1650 to 1800 lb and between 0.35 and 0.55, respectively.

For the vintage wash device 10 in practice, denim clothes 24 to be outworn and/or frayed are placed inside the washing drum 12 in which the denim clothes 24 contact the friction elements 14. Then, water is fed into the washing drum 12 until a water level that both the denim clothes 24 and the friction elements 14 are totally soaked is reached. Finally, the wash drum 12 is enabled to rotate for frictional contacts between the friction elements 14 and the denim clothes 24 as well as the denim clothes 24 faded and outworn unevenly.

In the vintage wash device 10 of the present invention, seams on the denim clothes 24, which are rubbed by the friction elements 14 made of tenacious and fibrous bamboo pieces during frictional contacts, are not opened. Moreover, the friction elements 14 frayed gradually have a long service life. In addition, the washing drum 12 collided by the friction elements 14, each of which has hardness between 1650 and 1800 lbs., is not damaged. Particularly, moderate water used to rinse the denim clothes 24 outworn in the vintage wash device 10 is consumed and drained for no water source polluted because no sludge is produced from the friction elements 14. Furthermore, the bamboo root 22 as a part to be abandoned is available easily and economically for mass production of the friction elements 14 and low-cost and environment-friendly effects.

The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein. 

1. A denim vintage wash device comprising: a rotational washing drum rotationally installed inside a machine body that is connected with an inlet tube through which water is fed into the washing drum; and a plurality of friction elements accommodated in the washing drum, with each of the plurality of friction elements including a bamboo piece cut from a bamboo root, wherein the washing drum in which denim clothes are placed and water is filled is enabled to rotate such that the denim clothes rubbed by the plurality of friction elements are faded and/or outworn.
 2. The denim vintage wash device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of friction elements has its length, width and height from 1 to 15 centimeters respectively.
 3. The denim vintage wash device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of friction elements has its hardness between 1650 and 1800 lb. 